Is This Physician “Leadership Opportunity” Setting You Up For Burnout?

In this episode, Dr. Toyosi Onwuemene speaks directly to physicians considering new leadership roles and administrative opportunities. Drawing from a recent coaching conversation and her own experience as a medical director, she explains why many leadership roles offered to physicians lack protected time, resources, compensation, and clear metrics for success leading to burnout, underperformance, and lost career opportunities. This episode offers a clear framework to help physicians evaluate leadership roles before saying yes.

Key Points Discussed:

• Why unresourced leadership roles create unsustainable workloads for physicians
• The real meaning of protected time for physicians—and why it is essential for success
• How lack of staffing, funding, and infrastructure leads to physician leadership burnout
• Why unpaid or underpaid administrative roles undervalue physicians’ expertise
• The negative impact of uncompensated leadership roles on existing clinical and academic responsibilities
• The opportunity cost of accepting unsupported leadership positions in academic medicine
• Why unclear expectations and missing metrics for success place physicians at risk
• How saying “no” can initiate meaningful leadership role negotiation
• What to look for in leadership roles that truly support long-term career advancement for physicians

Links and Resources Mentioned:

• AAMC Faculty Salary & Compensation Reports – National benchmarking data for physician leadership and administrative compensation: https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/workforce/report/aamc-faculty-salary-report
• Connect with Toyosi Onwuemene on LinkedIn (DMs open for physician coaching inquiries): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonwuemene

Call to Action: If you are a physician navigating leadership opportunities, protected time negotiations, or uncompensated administrative roles, subscribe to the podcast and leave a review so more physicians can find these conversations. Share this episode with a colleague who is considering a new leadership role—and pause before saying yes.

Sponsor/Advertising/Monetization Information: This episode is sponsored by VisionaryMD, a leading provider of executive coaching and professional development resources for physician leaders. VisionaryMD is committed to supporting physicians on their leadership journey.

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